WALANG bigat at walang saysay.

Ito ang iginiit ni Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson na walang malinaw na bigat at walang saysay bilang ebidensiya ang mga alegasyon ni dating Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co hinggil sa umano’y ₱100-bilyong budget insertion dahil hindi pa ito naa-authenticate at hindi rin ito ibinigay sa ilalim ng isang pormal na panunumpa.

Ayon kay Lacson, hindi pinalabas ng komite ang unang video ni Co dahil wala itong probative value. “Ex-Rep. Zaldy Co needs to have his written affidavit properly authenticated by a consul in the place where he is presently located, then testify under oath before the Blue Ribbon Committee while within the premises of the embassy or consulate in order to make his testimony valid and have probative value. Under such condition, we will resume the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing and hear his testimony,” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya: “Otherwise, as I have stated earlier, no matter how many Parts or Episodes his narrations are, they will all remain as such – narrations.”

Sinabi ni Lacson na una nilang isinasaalang-alang ang Zoom appearance ni Co, ngunit sinabi ni Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa na maaari lamang itong maging “a platform for propaganda,” at hindi maaaring i-cite in contempt dahil hindi ito naka-panunumpa.

Gayunpaman, kinumpirma ni Lacson na sinisimulan na nilang repasuhin ang listahan ng mga proyektong sinasabing ininsert sa bicameral conference committee report umano sa utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa pamamagitan nina Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman at Usec. Adrian Bersamin.

“We have been reviewing the P100 billion worth of projects that he claimed to have inserted in the bicam allegedly upon the instruction of the President through Sec Pangandaman and Usec Adrian Bersamin to match them with the items under the 2025 GAA. With at least five pages already done so far, several items are confirmed to be existing,” sabi ni Lacson.

Ngunit napuna ng senador ang ilang hindi tugmang detalye sa timeline. “What I noticed in the video, however is, while he talks of the 2025 GAA, several dates of the supposed deliveries were done in 2024 which obviously contradicts his narration about the insertions in the 2025 GAA,” paliwanag niya.

Binigyang-diin niya rin na hindi lohikal na sa bicam nangyari ang umano’y insertion. “Hindi siya part ng bicam. Dapat sa NEP pa lang sinabihan ang DBM at DBCC, maglagay ng P100B sa DPWH. And assuming totoong nagpa-insert sa BCC, bakit vineto?” tinukoy ang pagpapalagay ng Pangulo ng ilang DPWH items sa veto at FLR o For Later Release.

Giit ni Lacson, testimonya lamang na authenticated, naka-panunumpa, at may dokumentaryong suporta ang maaaring pagkatiwalaan ng komite.